The Huffington Post recently reported that Jimmy John’s, the national sandwich chain, requires its workers to sign strict non-compete agreements. The agreement was disclosed as part of a lawsuit by employees, and many in the employment industry are wondering if such an agreement is really necessary for the company’s minimum wage workers. These agreements are usually saved for high-level executives or those subject to proprietary information – not the guy behind the counter making a sub. More >

In May, we wrote about the Sixth Circuit’s interesting decision in Equal Opportunity Commission v. Ford Motor Co., wherein the Court expanded the instances in which a telecommuting arrangement would be considered a reasonable accommodation for disabled employees in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).[1]More >

Just yesterday, Business First and McBrayer sponsored the second part of a two-part seminar entitled “Lessons in Workplace Liability.” Amy D. Cubbage and Cynthia L. Effinger, McBrayer Employment Law attorneys, explained to attendees how job descriptions and performance evaluations can be used as powerful legal tools to limit liability for discrimination-based claims. If you were not able to attend the seminar, but would still like a copy of the materials, contact McBrayer’s Marketing Director, Elizabeth Bagby at ebagby@mcbrayerfirm.com or 859-231-8780. We have also summarized some of the information shared by the presenters below. More >

In a new decision involving the Ford Motor Company handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Court has expanded the instances in which a telecommuting arrangement would be considered a reasonable accommodation for disabled employees in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).[1] In Ford Motor Company, Jane Harris, who worked in a supply purchasing position, was terminated from her position after she asked to perform her job primarily via telecommunication in an attempt to control her unfortunate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. There was no dispute that she possessed a disability affecting a major life activity. So the discussion revolved around whether she could do her job via telecommuting and whether Ford’s proposed alternative accommodations were acceptable. Ford denied the request for telecommuting even though it did allow those in positions such as Harris to work from home on a limited basis. According to Ford, Jane’s physical presence at the workplace was critical to the group dynamic of the resale-buyer team and thus her request was unreasonable. The district court sided with Ford, granting the employer summary judgment as to claims of failure-to-accommodate under the ADA and retaliation. The question on appeal was whether Harris created sufficient questions of fact for her case to be allowed to proceed. The Sixth Circuit agreed that Harris did present sufficient questions of fact for her claim to be considered and in so doing appeared to send a message to employers that they need to be more flexible in considering telecommunication as a reasonable accommodation. More >

On Monday, we discussed the Troyer v. T.John.E Productions, Inc. case. The outcome of that case hinged on whether the plaintiff workers were “employees” or “independent contractors.” The IRS had previously issued SS-8 determination letters to the employers, wherein it was determined the plaintiffs were, in fact, “employees” under the 20-factor IRS guidelines. One might think that the IRS classification would result in a judgment for the plaintiffs. The court, however, thought otherwise. More >

The summer months often spur an influx in the hiring of temporary workers throughout the region. Unfortunately, some employers do not have programs in place to ensure proper training and compliance with safety standards for employees who are not on the path to permanent employment. Seeking to remedy this scenario, on April 29, 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) released a memo detailing their new initiative to protect temporary employees from workplace hazards. More >

In most cases the quality of the workforce determines the success of any business. As we discussed on Wednesday (10/24/12), there are five essential elements of a job description but there is a compelling need to focus specifically on requirements. A job description defines the duties, tasks and responsibilities of a position, creating a framework for hiring the right candidate. The description is used in marketing and promotion to attract new talent to the company. The requirements set the stage for digging deep into the details of the position and reflect the culture of the company. They have emerged as the strategic details that can set the candidates apart and make it easier for HR managers to look for an employee to specifically match the employee’s long-term goals. More >

Most companies of any significant size have, and should have, written job descriptions for each of its employment positions. The process of crafting these descriptions should start before the hiring process begins to fill positions, for good job descriptions are essential to identifying the various employee attributes needed by an employer. However, job descriptions historically are also one of the most widely used pieces of evidence in employment claims by plaintiffs. For this reason job descriptions need to be well written and carefully crafted to mitigate the risk of creating a document that can be used against an employer later in court. More >